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26/03/2007
Newspaper cleared over Kelly complaint
The 'Daily Mirror' has been cleared over a complaint made by Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly about a story regarding her decision to send her son to a private school.
The story was originally reported in the 'Mail On Sunday' in January, but the paper did not name Mrs Kelly specifically, saying only that the person in question was a Cabinet Minister.
However, the following day the Mirror named Mrs Kelly, although it did not reveal her son's name nor the identity of the school involved.
Mrs Kelly reported the newspaper to the Press Complaints Commission, arguing that the privacy of her son, who has special needs, had been breached. However, the Mirror argued that they had not printed the child's name, age or gender and also had not revealed the name of the school.
The PCC said that the Mirror's article had raised a matter of "considerable public interest". Its ruling said: "The fact that the complainant did not feel that the current state system could meet her child's requirements raised questions about the nature of publicly-funded schooling and its ability to cater for children with special needs - including those whose families would not be able to pay for private schooling.
"The commission concluded that the newspaper had, in its handling of the story, correctly balanced the public's right to know on the one hand with the child's right to privacy on the other."
A spokesperson for Mrs Kelly said that she was disappointed by the decision.
Mirror editor Richard Wallace said that they were "entirely right" to identify Mrs Kelly because her actions were "clearly at odds with government policy".
(KMcA/SP)
The story was originally reported in the 'Mail On Sunday' in January, but the paper did not name Mrs Kelly specifically, saying only that the person in question was a Cabinet Minister.
However, the following day the Mirror named Mrs Kelly, although it did not reveal her son's name nor the identity of the school involved.
Mrs Kelly reported the newspaper to the Press Complaints Commission, arguing that the privacy of her son, who has special needs, had been breached. However, the Mirror argued that they had not printed the child's name, age or gender and also had not revealed the name of the school.
The PCC said that the Mirror's article had raised a matter of "considerable public interest". Its ruling said: "The fact that the complainant did not feel that the current state system could meet her child's requirements raised questions about the nature of publicly-funded schooling and its ability to cater for children with special needs - including those whose families would not be able to pay for private schooling.
"The commission concluded that the newspaper had, in its handling of the story, correctly balanced the public's right to know on the one hand with the child's right to privacy on the other."
A spokesperson for Mrs Kelly said that she was disappointed by the decision.
Mirror editor Richard Wallace said that they were "entirely right" to identify Mrs Kelly because her actions were "clearly at odds with government policy".
(KMcA/SP)
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